NBC's 'Smash' gets a 2nd; creator shown exit

"Smash," the NBC musical drama that's given NBC a heartbeat Mondays at 10 for the first time since Mondays at 10 were invented, just earned a second season. That comes under the heading of "good news" because this is an excellent newcomer, and it's a big part of the New York TV production community (not mention Broadway, which it has so lavishly glamorized.)

Now the less-than-good news: NBC also ushered show creator and top producer, Theresa Rebeck, to the exits. Deadline has the story, and seems to indicate that Rebeck was making it too niche...or something.

The numbers aren't staggering but they're not bad, either, while NBC's metrics for renewal appear to be based on the fact that what aired here before essentially had a test-pattern-size audience:

“Smash” is NBC's #1 drama in adults 18-49 and total viewers. "Smash" is up 160 percent in 18-49 versus NBC's season average in the time period prior to "Smash" (with a 2.6 rating vs. a 1.0, "live plus same day") and in total viewers, "Smash" has improved the time period by 100 percent (7.7 million vs. 3.9 million).